Atlanta Nightclub Sued by EEOC for Pregnancy Discrimination

ATLANTA – In a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit filed today, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged that Dreamz ATL, a large nightclub in Atlanta, violated federal law when its manager fired a waitress after learning that she was pregnant.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, when Latayea Cuthbertson informed a manager of her pregnancy, he told her that because of her condition she should not be working. The manager then immediately removed Cuthbertson from the work schedule.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex or pregnancy. The EEOC filed suit (Civil Action No., 110-CV-1261) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement. The EEOC is seeking back pay, compensatory and punitive damages for Cuthbertson as well as injunctive relief designed to stop pregnancy discrimination and prevent it from recurring in the future.

“An employee should never be stripped of her employment simply because she is pregnant,” said Robert Dawkins, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Atlanta District Office. “Further, it is grossly unfair and unreasonable to deprive an employee of her means of support at the very moment she and her upcoming family need it most.”

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.